'Best Football Way Ahead' For Falcons Rookie LB Troy Andersen
When the Atlanta Falcons selected Troy Andersen with the No. 58 pick in the NFL Draft last month, he wasn't the biggest name on the board.
With players like Georgia's Nakobe Dean and quarterbacks galore, the pick was somewhat of a surprise.
However, Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy loved the pick.
"@seniorbowl standout & fastest LB at Combine has cover ability to play right away on sub-downs," Nagy tweeted. "[I] expect him to be starter Year 2. Best football way ahead of him."
At 6-3, 242-pounds, Andersen ran a blazing 4.41 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. Not only did Andersen run fast in shorts, but he consistently showed that in pads, as well:
At Montana State, Andersen was first team All-Big Sky in 2018 … as a quarterback, while also playing LB. The year before, he was the Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year … as a running back, while also playing a little bit of linebacker.
Make no mistake: Andersen is a special, special athlete, who put up elite testing numbers, and proved his versatility time and time again at Montana State.
It’s well-established that Andersen can move. However, he can really play the linebacker position. He was a unanimous first team All-American and the FCS ADA Defensive Player of the Year in his final seasons for the Bobcats. He has easy range working to the sideline, and his athleticism and football intelligence both project favorable to the NFL.
After losing Foye Oluokun to the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency, Atlanta had a hole at inside linebacker. While one can argue that Andersen wasn’t the best player on the board, he has the ceiling to easily outplay his draft slot and should have his best football ahead of him.
